Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation could not have picked a more beautiful day for its second annual Fishermen’s Appreciation Party. On Sunday, Oct. 5, over 150 people gathered at the Eastside Waterfront Park to enjoy food and drinks (thanks to Ralph Smith and Mine Oyster for the incredible spread) and listened to the music of our beloved Holy Mackerels. Fishermen, young and old, and a large chunk of our community spent the picture-perfect afternoon embracing and celebrating one of the time-honored enterprises that has made Boothbay Harbor the unique and cherished coastal Maine village it is and has been for generations.

We love our fishermen and the incredibly hard work they do to keep us and folks far beyond Maine borders stocked in fresh seafood. It is an honor to be able to say thank you each year and let them know how much they are appreciated.

What we didn’t know until they told us at the party was that the park—and specifically our working waterfront pier—has been a real blessing to them over the past two years. While Carter’s Wharf was under construction, we were able to set up a temporary buying station for Luke’s Lobster, providing dockage, a hoist, parking, and everything else they needed to keep fishing. On Sunday, they shared that without our support and the space we offered—at no cost to them—they might have lost their livelihoods. When construction at Carter’s Wharf is completed in the next few months, they’ll be able to return to their home base. But we hope they know there will always be a place for them on the Eastside Park South Pier.